For many people, symptoms of incontinence come on gradually. The need to urinate becomes more frequent, a sense of urgency increases, and leakage becomes a regular occurrence. In many cases, people are already making adjustments to their lifestyle – double checking for the location of the nearest bathroom, for example, or using pads or even diapers – before they discuss the issue with a doctor.

Unfortunately, sometimes medical doctors or other providers inform their patients that these bladder conditions are just a fleeting bladder sensitivity, or age-related bladder weakness, and do not require treatment. But when is a “weak bladder” something more?

What to Look for

Incontinence can be an embarrassing thing to discuss with your health care provider. How can you decide whether this is just a normal part of aging and something that should be treated at home with pads or diapers, or a condition that truly deserves medical attention?

If you’re asking yourself any version of this question, you owe it to yourself to seek an educated medical opinion. Why? Because you do not want to miss a serious medical condition, and because you really do not have to live with those symptoms given modern non-invasive treatments available today.

Any time there is bladder leakage, bowel leakage, or other symptoms of overactive bladder, including spasms and waking up in the night to urinate, the situation warrants a discussion with a doctor.

At minimum, some testing to screen for other related health conditions is necessary because the “weak bladder” diagnosis can occasionally be a red herring. For example, someone who smokes tobacco is at risk for bladder tumors. Someone who is overweight may be at risk for diabetes. These are both conditions that can and should be checked for with screening tests.

Incontinence – A Progressive Condition

Most often, bladder and bowel symptoms are bothersome and disruptive to life, and symptoms usually get worse with time. If you’re spending time dealing with symptoms of incontinence, you have options for treatment.

In fact, overactive bladder, bladder leakage and the dreaded related condition of bowel leakage are all highly treatable. But if you aren’t getting detailed information about your options for resolving incontinence, look for incontinence specialists and centers in your area that offer the latest technology.

Sacral neuromodulation is one of them. This impressively effective treatment for bladder and bowel leakage and overactive bladder has a success rate exceeding 90%, with no surgery, anesthesia, or medications. In more than 20 years of practice, I’ve seen this played out again and again.

The Takeaway

Overactive bladder, urinary incontinence, and bowel leakage are not a normal part of aging but are true health conditions that impair quality of life. And treatments have become simpler, easier, safer, and much more effective in recent years.

If you’re wondering whether your weak bladder is something more, trust your instincts. Mentioning it to your doctor means that you are one step closer to finding relief and getting back to sleeping through the night and saving money otherwise spent on pads and diapers. But be prepared to look for specialized care if you’re told that it’s simply a “weak bladder.”

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Would you be comfortable mentioning incontinence with your medical provider? Have you been told this condition is simply a “weak bladder”? Have you seen improvement by doing nothing?

These are uncertain and anxious times. I can’t help but think more of us are anxious and tense than in previous years: I know my friends and I are. So what to do about that anxiety, especially if it’s multiplied?

First, know that anxiety is uncomfortable, but it’s a normal response to stressful times. But it doesn’t have to be debilitating. Here are a few things you can do immediately to begin to handle anxious feelings:

Control What You Can

Some stressors are within our power to change. If we are putting ourselves in anxious situations, set limits as you can. Remember: “No.” is a complete sentence. Self-care is important in anxious times.

Belly Breathing

When you breathe deeply, your body gets a message to relax. Belly breathing is one of the most effective ways to immediately calm down, so here is a simple instruction:

Sit or lie down in a comfortable spot. Place one hand below your ribs and another on your chest. Take your time.

Take a deep breath in through your nose, allowing your belly to push your hand out, but not moving your chest. Belly breathing is deep and from below the chest.

Exhale fully through your mouth on a count of five. You can purse your lips if you like. Feel how the hand on your belly goes in as you push all the air out of your lungs. Your hands will indicate if you are truly belly breathing.

Repeat five times; 10, if you can.

In the Instant

If anxiety comes upon you suddenly, take a full, deep breath in on a count of three and a full exhale on a count of five. Repeat this 10 times. You can do this as many times as you need to.

Eliminate Caffeine

I know, you love coffee, like I do. But at least for a while take all caffeine out of your diet. Soda, coffee, tea, chocolate. You can use caffeine-free versions of these products, and don’t be surprised if you don’t ever return to caffeine again. And never consume energy drinks.

Caffeine boosts your metabolism. Your heart rate and blood pressure go up and so do feelings of anxiety.

Foods with sugar and starch can raise and lower blood sugar, leading to stress. It’s smart to cut way back on those, too.

Lower Intake of Alcohol

Alcohol can be a depressant, and hangovers can increase anxiety.

Consume an antioxidant-rich diet. Blueberries, eggs, salmon and whole grain foods can help reduce anxiety.

Use Rational Thinking

Many people can control free-floating anxiety by asking themselves, “What’s the worst thing that could happen? How likely is it to happen?” Combined with deep breathing, this can be effective for people who respond well to logic.

Help Others

Volunteer work has long been prescribed by therapists for anxiety and depression. The act of doing something for others helps distract us from spinning out on our own anxieties.

Natural Remedies

If you prefer treatments of the natural variety, chamomile tea is said to be calming. So is ginseng and valerian root. You can find these in teas and also in supplements.

But if you are on prescription medicines, be sure to check with your doctor before ingesting any natural remedies or herbal supplements, as some have unpleasant interactions with some drugs.

Meditate

The overall, stress-reducing benefits of meditation are well known, including lowering blood pressure.

If you don’t have the patience to meditate on your own, use guided imagery daily to force yourself to sit still long enough to meditate. You can find many of these for free on YouTube or you can buy a commercial product.

Exercise

Exercise is a great stress reliever. It’s even better if you can do some of it in the sun, getting valuable Vitamin D exposure.

For some people, deficiency in Vitamin D leads to anxiety symptoms, so get your full share daily. A supplement helps, but a long walk in the fall sunshine has a double impact: exercise plus Vitamin D.

See a Therapist

If you can’t manage anxiety with these methods, talk to someone. Sometimes it’s necessary to air your feelings to an impartial professional who has the ability to help.

See Your Doctor

If your anxiety is severe, you might need medications, but it’s smart to try other methods first. Anxiety meds are overprescribed and do not work on the root of the problem. They’re a short-term solution for most, but not all, people.

It may take a while to re-program your body to handle anxiety, especially if it’s been building up for a while. But these methods and especially deep breathing, have been successful for many.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What works for you to help manage anxiety in stressful times? What would you add to this list? Please join the conversation below.

Hybrid working became common after the pandemic. It’s where you work from the office sometimes and from home the rest of the time.

Did you know there’s also such a thing as hybrid exercise?

We’ve seen a lot of it over the last year or so. You may already be practising this successful method without realising it!

It’s where you combine exercise, which is done outside the home, either outdoors or at an external venue, with training at home. Usually, during the week, people will do a mixture of the two.

Read on to learn more about how people make hybrid exercise work and its many benefits.

What Does Hybrid Exercise Look Like, Then?

Outside the home, exercise can include activities at a gym, a group class, a dance studio or a swimming pool. This can be done independently, with an instructor or in a group.

When people exercise at home, this can be done independently or by following a programme (a book, printed programme, DVDs or online videos). An online exercise studio is a great solution for safe, enjoyable and effective home exercise.

What Are the Benefits of Hybrid Exercise?

Hybrid exercise is both more enjoyable and more effective. It’s an easy way to fit regular exercise into your lifestyle and get more results.

Variety is vital in fitness – we need to do various fitness activities both for optimal health and fitness and to stop us from getting bored.

People always look surprised when I say we need to avoid boredom. I think they assume that exercise has to be somewhat painful and tedious. But I don’t believe in ‘no pain, no gain’, and I know that the more you enjoy something, the more you will do it. So I want to ensure you aren’t bored with your exercise routine!

Hybrid exercise is convenient – it’s easier to fit in the training you want and need to do. So you get more benefits!

You can enjoy the social aspect of a class and the flexibility of home exercise, which you can fit around your other commitments.

Who Can Benefit from Hybrid Exercise?

Everyone!

It’s great if you have a busy schedule. Maybe you’re working, volunteering or looking after grandchildren (or all three!). When you want to fit in commitments, responsibilities and social engagements, hybrid exercise can help you keep your routine up.

It works if you live further away from leisure facilities or don’t like driving or taking transport daily.

Hybrid exercise gives you more options if you get tired quickly, or your energy varies daily. You can go out to a class when you’re full of beans and do a short home workout when you’ve got less in the tank.

How Can You Make Hybrid Exercise Work for You?

Make friends with your calendar.

Fit various activities throughout the week. Only book a class on the days you know you can get there. Put home exercise in your calendar like a scheduled gym session.

Make the most of the social opportunities. When you go to a class, have coffee or lunch with people afterwards, make most of the social interaction and enjoy it!

Don’t try to replicate the exercises from your class when you’re at home. Do something complementary and well-suited to home exercise. If you do strength training and aerobic exercise when you’re out, go for some balance and mobility work on your home days.

Follow a plan or programme. It’s very, very hard to succeed with home exercise without one! You could use a book, DVD, website or a programme from your doctor or physical therapist.

Ensure that the author or online instructor you follow is qualified, experienced and delivers exercises at the right level.

For example, here’s a taster of some of the Move More Easily exercises that members of our online Studio enjoy:

Look at the Vida Wellness Studio and try our 14-day trial if you want help and support to exercise at home. It’s an online exercise studio for people who wish to improve their balance and posture, feel stronger, and move more easily.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How often do you exercise? Do you enjoy it? Do you do hybrid exercise or is there a different plan that works better for you?

Having experienced tensions, along with some degree of emotional baggage is, in fact, part of the human experience. Yet, for some mothers, daughters, sons and spouses these rifts run so deep that there is little chance that either party is going to be able to put their differences aside even when care is needed.

Stepping into the role of caregiver is an honorable act of love. It can be rewarding, and in many circumstances the act of caring for someone you love can lead to emotional and spiritual growth.

It should also be noted that caring for someone you love can place additional strains on your relationship, even when there is a solid foundation. Therefore, practicing emotional self-care is an important strategy for self-preservation.

What Is Emotional Self-Care?

Emotional self-care is the act of wrapping yourself in a blanket of comfort and shielding yourself from situations and individuals that increase your distress. It also means that sometimes you will need to repel individuals and possibly circumvent situations that are likely to derail your emotional peace.

What Happens If You Don’t Practice Self-Care as a Caregiver?

So, what might you encounter if you do not actively engage in self-care strategies? You are likely to experience some level of emotional stress, and when compounded over time, unresolved stress can lead to distress and eventually burnout.

Having outlets for your stress and having someone with whom to confide is essential. Networking with other caregivers and talking to those in situations similar to yours can also be of benefit. What matters most is that you make emotional self-care a part of your daily routine.

7 Emotional Self-Care Strategies

In addition to having the proper outlets, you may also participate in practices that you alone can control to ease your emotional distress. The following are seven strategies that you may find helpful when developing a plan for practicing emotional self-care:

Make a Playlist of Music That Brings You Comfort

Listening to music can change your mood. You might make more than one playlist so that you have a variety of tunes that you can listen to depending on how you are feeling at the time.

When you are feeling stressed you may choose to listen to a set of tracks that you find relaxing, and when you’re sad, you may choose to listen to a different type of music.

Write an Encouraging Letter to Yourself

When you are emotionally distressed it may be really challenging to identify your most positive attributes. Consider writing a letter of encouragement and address it to yourself. When you are having a particularly challenging day you can pull it out and read it aloud to remind yourself of all the great things about you.

Create a No-Dumping Zone

Have you ever picked up the phone or walked into a room and someone begins talking non-stop about all of their problems?

It can be exhausting to have someone dump all of their distress on you. Creating a no-dumping zone can be a great way to set boundaries and re-direct individuals who might not respect your need for emotional wellness.

Set a Time to Be Alone in Quiet and Peace

Setting a time to reflect and to relax your mind can be a perfect way to begin or end your day. This alone time should not require you to do anything; rather, it should be about time to focus on emotional wholeness.

Listen to What Your Body Is Telling You

Are you feeling tired all the time, experiencing aches and pains or walking around with your stomach in knots? Listen to your body; perhaps it is trying to tell you something. Should these symptoms persist, it is important to reach out to your doctor.

Be Gentle with Yourself

You may find that in the course of caring for a loved one you become frustrated, short-tempered or in some situations, you may even feel angry. It is okay to experience a wide range of emotions, in fact it is healthy.

Embrace your feelings. Don’t beat yourself up by feeling guilty or by overthinking your actions. Be gentle with yourself, you are human.

Find Passions Outside Your Role as a Caregiver

Make sure that you are taking time to do things that have nothing to do with your role as a caregiver. Reach out and ask for help if you need someone to assist with the care of your loved one so that you can do something you enjoy.

Learning to effectively put your needs first does not come naturally for most caregivers. Should you find that you are in need of more pointed support do not be afraid to reach out to a professional counselor or therapist to help you find ways to care for yourself while you care for your loved one.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How do you practice emotional self-care? If you had to create an emotional-self-care kit what items would you include? Please share your thoughts below!